Locomotive water-column.



W. M. GRAY.

LOCOMOTlVE WATER COLUMN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1914.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

WALLACE M. GRAY, OF CIl\T('JI1\l'1\TAYLI, OHIO.

LOCOMOTIVE WATER-COLUMN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application filed. May 21, 1914. Serial No. 840,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE M. GRAY, a v

citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and liable to injury by passing trains.

Another object is to provide for drainage and against injury or inoperativeness of the mechanism due to low temperatures or the formation of ice.

Another object is to provide for an adjustable and extensible connection between the column and tank.

Another object is to provide means to direct the water from the column to either side thereof in connection with means to operate the valve from elther side.

My invention also comprises certain details of form, combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a water column embodying my invention and illustrating difierent positions of the discharge pipe. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section with the discharge pipe in the elevated or rest position.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which A represents a water column stand pipe which may be revoluble but is preferably rigid, thereby avoiding the expense of a.

revoluble stand pipe. At the upper end the pipe A terminates in a horizontally directed delivery nozzle or spout 2 which extends 7 parallel to the track or tracks. At the lower end of the column. is provided a valve of usual construction, not shown, to be operated or opened by means of a valve rod 8 when it is desired to fill a locomotive tank.

The column A may be located at the side of a single track, but is preferably located between two tracks, so" as to supply water to locomotives on either track.

A curved discharge pipe B of light sheet metal is loosely mounted upon and telescoped over the nozzle 2, being preferably supported in position by means of a series of rollers 4 journaled to the inner end of dlscharge pipe B and traveling loosely in an annular groove 5 on the outer face of the nozzle, leaving an open space between the discharge pipe B and nozzle 2 through which air may enter when water is flowing from the nozzle, and through which water may drain from the discharge pipe when the discharge pipe is in the elevated or rest position.

At the outer end of the discharge pipe is telescopically revolubly, and extensibly attached a section or elbow D of light sheet metal. Said elbow loosely fits over a bead or flange 6 at the outer end of the discharge pipe B, and has an inwardly turned flange 7 to slide or revolve upon the spout B, as required, and also to limit the telescopic movement of said elbow relative to the end scopic movement of the elbow in the oppo- 7 site direction. Said handles also afford a convenient means to grasp the discharge pipe and adjust it to the desired position to deliver water to a tank.

A flexible connection or cable E is attached at one end to the discharge pipe, preferably to an eye formed on one of the handles 8, and at the oppositeend to a counter-weight F. The intermediate portion of the cable E is directed between the grooved pulleys 9 and 10 and over the grooved pulleys 11 and 12, to enable the weight to substantially counterbalance the discharge pipe in its various positions, and to enable the discharge pipe ,to be readily adjusted from one position to another, but tending to normally return the discharge pipe to its elevated or rest position. The rollers 9,10, 11, and 12 are supported upon a bracket G carried by the column A.

As illustrated, the upper end of the valve rod 3 is. supported to slide endwise in a box 14 attached to the column A, and pivotally connected to a link 15, which in turn is pivotally connected to a lever l6, which is pivotally attached at 17 to the column A. lhe opposite end of lever 16 has an eye 18 which may be grasped by hand or caught by means of a hook 19 from either. side of the column, and pulled to an inclined position to lift or actuate the valve rod 3. It is preferable to actuate the valve rod by a pulling movement on the part of the operator, and my improved mechanism provides for pulling the lever 18 from either side of the column either by hand or by means of a hook similar to the hook 19 illustrated.

It is? desirable" to avoid any projecting parts liable to be struck by passing trains, and I therefore preferably employ a rigid column, and providea counter-weight which will tend to normally hold the spout B in the elevated position out of the way of passing trains, while-the lever 18 is normally in a vertical position so as not to project sidewi'se beyond the column.

In operation the locomotive is stopped in approximately the desired position. The operator thenj' opens the lid of the filling hole ofthe tank and grasps one of the handles 8 anddraws the discharge pipe over v to a downwardly inclined position, and adjuststhe mouth of the elbow into the filling hole. As the locomotive can not read ly be stopped accurately at the desired position, a

' certain amount of play or' movement is providedwhere the discharge pipe telescopes over the nozzle, and also where the elbow telescopes over the outer end of the discharge pipe, which together with the end- I wise or telescopic adjustment of the elbow to be readily fitted into the filling hole of upon the discharge'pipe'enables the delivery end of the elbow to have a: considerable range of adjustment longitudinally and transversely of the track and'to enable it the tank. The'handle of the'lever 18 is then pulled toward the operator to open the valve and allow the water to flow into the tank. While the wateris flowing, air is" taken into the discharge pipe aroundthe nozzle, which assists the flow through the discharge pipe and prevents the escape of water at the joint between" the discharge pipe and nozzle. Some air is also taken in at the joint between the spout and elbow, and leakage at thisjoint is thus avoided. As soon as the tankis filled the handle of lever 18 is released, whereupon the valve automatically closes and shuts ofF- the flow of water,the h aIidleS is then lifted and released, whereupon the weight F restores the discharge pipe to its elevated or rest position, the

elbow telescopically adjnsts itself upon the discharge pipe, and the water remaining in the discharge pipe and elbow" drains out at the open "oint' between the discharge pipe and. n'ozzlef Thus" eveniin severe winter weather no ice is formed in position to prevent theoper'ation of the wa'ter column;

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A water column comprising a stand pipe terminating at its upper end in ahorizontally directed nozzle, a curved discharge pipe connected by an open joint to said nozzle and rotatably adjustable relative to said nozzle from. a substantially vertical to a downwardly inclined position, and an elbow telescopically and extensibly connected tothe exit end of said discharge pipe.

2. A water column comprising a Stand pipe terminatingat its upper end in a horizontally directed nozzle, a curved discharge.

pipe connected by an open joint over said nozzle and rotatably adjustable relative to said nozzle from a substantially vertical position above said nozzle to a downwardly inclined position at either side of said nozzle, and a member at the exit end of said discharge pipe to direct the discharged water into a tank opening.

3. A water column comprising a stand pipe terminating at its upper end in a hori-' zontally directed nozzle, a curved discharge pipe connected by an open joint over said nozzle and rotatably adjustable relative to said nozzle from a substantially vertical position above said nozzleto a downwardly inclined position at either side of said nozzle, and an elbow rotatably'and extensibly connected to the' exit end of said discharge pipe.

LA water column comprising a stand pipe terminating at it's' upper' end in ahorizontally directed nozzle, a curved discharge pipe rotatably connected by an open joint:

over and journaled upon said nozzle;--said discharge pipebeing adjustable relative to said nozzle from a'substantiallyvertical position above to a downwardly inclined posi tion at the side of said nozzle,and means'to' substantially counterbalance said} discharge pipe upon said stand pipe.

6. A water column comprising a stand pipe terminating at itsupper'end' in ahorizontally directed nozzle, a curved dischar eprp connected" by an open joint was said nozzle and rotatably adjustable relative to said nozzle from a substantially vertical position above said nozzle to a downwardly inclined position at either side of said nozzle, a member at the exit end of said discharge pipe to direct the discharged water downwardly in a substantially vertical direction into a tank opening, a valve rod carried by said stand pipe, and means operable from either side of said stand pipe to actuate said valve rod.

7 A water column comprising a stand pipe terminating at its upper end in a horizontally directed nozzle, a curved discharge pipe connected by an open joint with said nozzle and rotatably adjustable relative to said nozzle from a substantially vertical position above said nozzle to a downwardly inclined position at either side of said nozzle, a member at the exit end of said discharge pipe to direct the discharged water downwardly in a substantially vertical direction into a tank opening, a valve rod carried by said stand pipe, and mechanism operable by a pull on the part of the operator from either side of said stand pipe to actuate said valve rod. 7

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE M. GRAY.

Witnesses C. W. MILES, W. THORNTON BOGERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

